


the very beginning

by gamux



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: First Meetings, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-14 21:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3425867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gamux/pseuds/gamux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story of a spaceship crashed, a boy lost, and a friend made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the very beginning

His senses return and he opens his eyes but regrets the decision immediately, squeezing them shut again as tears well and begin to spill. There is fire coursing through every fibre of his being and he would be screaming in agony if his throat weren’t as broken as the rest of him. He forces his eyes open again and realises that there is not only fire in him but also surrounding him, and he wills his heavy limbs to drag him away from the licking flames.

He reaches out a hand, blindly groping at the ground until his weak fingers find enough to strength to drag him forward. Something jagged slices into his palm and stares at his hand blankly, watching as the blood drips and soaks into the ground. He reaches out again, carefully this time, and grasps the metal object that cut him. 

‘PRISE’ it reads.

He frowns, and then groans as his mind works over time. He slowly lifts himself up on his other arm, still holding the scrap of bloody metal in the other. On shaking legs he finally manages to stand. He looks around and nearly drops to his knees again.

PRISE...  
ENTERPRISE...

Xephos is standing amidst the burning wreckage of his spaceship.

He wants to shout but all he can manage is a pathetic choked sob. Half his belongings are lost, the other half sitting unreachable among the stars. His ship is most likely wrecked beyond repair. This planet is strange and uncharted. It could be uninhabited, or the natives could be hostile. Should they be friendly it is unlikely they would have access to the technology required to get him home. The horrible reality breaks through the post-crash barrier clouding his mind and all he can do is sit down and cry.

The sky is dark now. It's only been a few hours but it seems like forever. The surrounding area is lit by the still-burning blaze. Beyond that the night looks cold and menacing. He huddles closer to the fire as the chill starts to seep into his bones.

Out of nowhere an arrow flies past, narrowly missing his head and embedding itself in the scrap metal he had been leaning on. He reels back in surprise, kicking up dirt and debris as he gets to his feet. Something moves in the shadows and he squints, trying to figure out just who or what it is.

Another arrow. This one catches him on the shoulder and he grunts at the pain. Its ripped a small chunk of flesh away and is bleeding steadily. The dim glow finally reveals the perpetrator as it steps forward to take another shot. A skeleton, wielding a bow, eyeless sockets focused on Xephos so intensely he could've sworn it was actually eyeballing him. He hears a groan to his left and a grotesque humanoid figure shuffles into the small clearing as well. Its hands are outstretched and it doesn't take him two guesses to know it's probably not looking for a hug.

So he runs.

He glances over his shoulder and watches the skeleton fire at last. The arrow sinks into the soft flesh of the other monster, right through its brain, and it drops like a stone. Two more figures join the skeleton and the three of them being following him. He wastes no time ducking and swerving through the trees, hoping to lose them in the confusion.

He bumps into a tree and falls to the ground. Or at least he thought it was a tree.

It's another strange creature, with four stumpy legs that make little noise as it walks closer, and a face like the ones found in nightmares. He backs away. It makes a hissing noise and he dives behind a fallen tree for cover. There's a quick flash of light and he feels the heat from the explosion wash over him. Nothing remains of the creature except a scorch mark in the grass.

Something brushes his arm and he jumps, running off again, not even daring to look behind him. He's too busying trying just to escape and find a safe place to stay the night that he doesn't notice the hole in the ground until he's fallen down it.

He tumbles to the bottom in a bruised tangle of limbs. He puts his back against the wall and brings his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around himself. He's almost paralysed with fear.

Then he notices the torches.

They cover the walls, illuminating the large room well. He guesses he's stumbled into an underground cave system. But the stair-like slope he fell down is decidedly man-made. Something on this planet is intelligent enough to handle fire and mine stone, and the thought makes him shiver.

He picks himself up, brushes the dirt off his uniform and begins to explore the cavern. He finds a short corridor, leading to a fork in the road. The right path looks long and dark, so he makes a left turn and continues on. Eventually it reaches a dead end. He puts his hands against the smooth stone and is surprised to find it hums with warmth under his frostbitten fingers.

"You might want to step away from there, friend. There's lava behind that."

He whips around and backs away. A short being stands a few feet from him, pickaxe slung over his shoulders, the helmet he wears dusted with fragments of rock. He doesn't seem hostile but Xephos is panicked nonetheless. Seeing the frightened expression he wears the other puts his pickaxe away, presenting his empty hands.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." he says softly. Xephos seems to calm down a bit so he presses on with more questions. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you new? What's your name? Where are you from?"

"Xeph... Xephos." he clears his throat. "My name is Xephos. I crash landed here. My spaceship is over there somewhere." he gestures in a vague direction. He's so turned around he can't even remember where his ship is.

"Spaceship?" the other repeats, awe-struck. Xephos gives a curt nod. "Wow. That's amazing! I'm a dwarf, see - name's Honeydew by the way - so I spend most of my time underground. Well, sort of. Mining up diamonds and gold and iron for a living sounds fair enough - and it is, I suppose, we're born to mine after all - but once I got my first taste of fresh air I never wanted to go back underground again. I had a choice; stay and mine, or leave and never return. I chose to leave. Didn't regret it. Don't think I did at least." he pauses and glances at Xephos, who hasn't said a word.

"Are you okay, friend?"

He gives the dwarf a sideways glance and shrugs. Honeydew puts a hand on his shoulder with a persistent silence.

"My story is similar to yours." he finally murmurs. "I had the opportunity to leave, and I took it. My parents and I didn't always see eye to eye but I loved them. And now..." he swallows, blinking back tears. "...Now I'll never get to see them again."

Tears start sliding down his cheeks and he covers his face, cursing himself silently. Honeydew just frowns worriedly and hugs him, rocking back and forth. After a few minutes he straightens up and dries his eyes, rubbing the stinging sensation away.

"Tell you what." the dwarf says. "How about you come with me? I'll show you the ropes and teach you some tips and tricks. We'll find a new life. Together."

Honeydew holds out a hand. There's a moment’s hesitation before Xephos reaches out and their fingers interlock.

"Sure thing, pal."


End file.
